Vaping black market: Oman banned sales, but vapers keep vaping

Selling e-cigarettes or vapor products has been illegal in Oman since last December, but there is a brisk black market, fuelled by products brought into the country by travelers and internet purchases.

Oman is a monarchy with a population of 3.6 million on the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates, and boasts a long Persian Gulf coastline.

Five minutes of internet searching was all it took to find connections to buy vape supplies in the country.

While vaping itself is legal, trade in vapor products is prohibited, according to the Times of Oman. The fine for illegally importing the products, or selling them in Oman, is $500 Omani Rial, about equal to $2,300. The fine is doubled for repeat offenses.

According to the Times story, the government is planning a study of how many Omanis vape. The answer is probably more than they think. Five minutes of internet searching was all it took to find connections to buy vape supplies in the country. And it’s likely that anyone fluent in Arabic would find even more resources.

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I spend most of my time studying the regulatory, legislative and scientific challenges to vaping, advocating for our right to exist, and talking with others who do the same. Consider me a source for information, and feel free to agree or disagree with anything I say. I love good coffee and sweet Michigan cherries. My childhood hero was Gordie Howe.